"Our house?"
What house?
Joel didn't have ti to think. He watched as Clentine sprinted off, waving and calling out.
"Keep up! Keep up!"
That smile, like a blooming flower, stood out brightly in the icy, snowy landscape.
Joel clumsily ran after her, stumbling as he went. "We have to go..."
With a lurch, Joel grabbed Clentine's legs and fell to the ground. Clentine, who had been waiting for Joel, couldn't dodge and collapsed with him, but she didn't seem to mind. She kept laughing.
Only Joel was worried.
"We... we have to go, Clentine."
Joel struggled to get up, but Clentine quickly rose to her knees and tackled him back down—
A snowball fight.
Clentine piled snow onto Joel's face like a playful child. She even helped sar a snow mask over his face, laughing as his eyes, nose, and mouth disappeared under the snow.
Joel thrashed about like a fish out of water but was careful not to hurt Clentine with too much force.
"Cle... Clentine…"
He called her na repeatedly, but she didn't respond—just stuffed his mouth with more snow. Joel finally gave in, joining Clentine in the snow, using his hands like penguin wings to fling snow back at her.
They played like two five-year-olds, more and more enthusiastic as they went.
In the middle of their frolic, Joel suddenly snapped out of it, clapping his hands to his sides and shouting, "Now's not the ti for playing around!"
But Clentine leapt onto him again, lying on top of Joel, pressing her ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
However, it was just a trick.
While distracting Joel, Clentine sneakily gathered more snow and tossed it onto his face without even looking up. Joel spat out the snow, and she couldn't contain her laughter anymore, bursting out in joy.
Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!
Before long, Joel had beco a snowman.
Lying in the white snow, Clentine and Joel rested quietly. The deep blues and greens of the sea blended like ink on rice paper, with Clentine's bright red hair glowing like a fla, contrasting beautifully with the serene laughter, creating a pure mont of happiness.
For just a fleeting second, ti seed to stand still.
Until Joel ca back to his senses—
Now wasn't the ti to bask in happiness. It was because he cherished this happiness so much that he needed to stop the mory Clinic's process. He had to hide Clentine sowhere safe in his mories before she was completely erased.
Joel glanced toward the cara as if it were the ominous figure of the man in black, coming to erase Clentine from his mory. His face showed a hint of panic.
In a sudden move, Joel pulled Clentine close, hugging her tightly with all his strength.
Then, he stood up.
Joel helped Clentine to her feet. "We need to go. Now. Right now."
But after only a few steps, Clentine tugged on his hands and flopped to the ground, sitting as if she were on a sled.
"I have no idea where we're even going," Clentine whined playfully.
Her face was full of mischief, her eyes sparkling with joy—she just wanted to be with Joel, to play with him.
Joel didn't have ti to look back, dragging Clentine forward.
Pull, pull, pull.
"It'll be fun. I promise, it's going to be great there," Joel said, dragging her toward the west.
But Clentine kept talking about "our house," pulling Joel toward the east. "No, no, this way! We're going here."
Joel shook his head vigorously. "That way!"
"Oh, Clentine, you're not helping at all!"
Clentine leaned back, fully playing her part in the sledding ga, and Joel struggled like a man pulling a barge along the Volga River, trudging forward with great difficulty.
The snow was thinning, revealing the sand beneath.
Joel's strength was failing, and eventually, he collapsed.
But he still didn't give up. Turning around, he grabbed Clentine by the arms from behind, and with great effort, began dragging her through the snow like a snail.
Huff, huff.
Clentine was delighted, her laughter ringing out. Her royal-blue knit hat slipped off, revealing her bright red hair, and her laughter echoed in the sea breeze.
Ha ha, ha ha ha.
Joel focused on his task. "Clentine, we need to leave, we need to..."
Huffing and puffing, he suddenly realized—
Clentine was gone.
The cara cut to Kate, who rolled away playfully, lying in the snow and gazing quietly at Anson.
Joel was still pulling, but the weight in his hands had vanished, and he tumbled backward in a ss, sprawling on the ground.
But Joel didn't have ti to worry about anything else. He looked down at his empty arms, then frantically scanned the area.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The snow-covered beach was in disarray, but now it was just him. Clentine had vanished without a trace.
Joel froze, forgetting even to call out her na. He just stared blankly ahead, looking at the deep, roaring blue sea. His shoulders slumped slightly but then stayed still, caught in an awkward posture, rigid and unmoving.
Though his face and eyes couldn't be seen, the sense of confusion and loss was palpable from his side and back. From happiness and laughter to sudden solitude, the vast emptiness made him look especially alone.
Without realizing it, Kate held her breath.
Inside the villa, Michel watched the monitor, lost in thought:
If only everything could freeze in this mont, he thought. A simple happiness, just before the mories were lost, and in that instant, realizing how precious they were, trying desperately to hold on.
But the harder you try, the faster it slips away. The more anxious you beco, the more you lose your grip.
And then, you're left confused.
It wasn't sadness, or pain, or despair—just confusion.
And that confusion hurt even more.
On screen, Joel, who had been trying so hard just a second ago, suddenly stopped. No more movent, no more shouting. Nothing. He just held that pose, the only changes barely noticeable. After blinking a few tis and seeing nothing change, he began to doubt his eyes, wondering if it was just the wind distorting his senses. Joel remained frozen in place.
But that scene, without any dramatic emotion, hit harder than any other performance could have. It broke through defenses, catching you completely off guard.
Yet, there were no tears—just a heavy sigh, like a ball of cotton stuck in the chest.
Quietly, Michel continued watching.
Until a chill crept up from his feet, snapping him out of it.
"Cut!"
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